I took out my gun and knew Jim didn’t have a weapon. We were going to be outmanned and without enough weapons. Fuck.
“Fine,” I said to Jim. “Stick with me. Follow my lead and follow your gut. This is war, Jim. Remember that mindset.”
“Visiting an old friend?” Dice asked.
“Actually picking out a nice spot for you and your friends,” I said.
I lifted my gun.
Dice and Jop pointed their guns at me.
“Really?” Jop asked. “How do you think this works?”
“Simple,” I said. “We finish up here and go back to the clubhouse. Get the rest of our shit in line and watch you pricks bleed out.”
Both Dice and Jop laughed at the same time.
“Who is this fuck?” Jop asked. He went right to Jim, sticking his gun to Jim’s neck. “Put your hands up, bitch.”
Jim listened.
“And you drop your gun,” Dice said to me.
I lowered my gun but didn’t drop it. “Easy now, guys. I find it interesting that you were following me. Something on your mind?”
“No,” Dice said. “Just taking care of business. Keep your enemies close… right?”
“I’m not sure that’s how the phrase goes,” I said. “But you never got out of second grade, did you?”
Dice smacked his gun off my jaw. I took the hit and stepped back. I reached for Jim and pulled him away from Jop. We didn’t have time and I had to take a huge chance. My eyes met with Jim’s and I gave a wink.
Don’t fuck up, soldier.
I turned my body and placed my gun to Jim’s chest. He grabbed it. I threw a left punch to Jop’s wrist and he dropped his gun instantly. I then spun around threw a right, hitting Dice’s hand. He didn’t drop his gun but stumbled enough that when he pulled the trigger the bullet was a mile away from me. I went at him again with another right, cracking him in the jaw. He fell to the side, into a gravestone, and I didn’t let up.
“Move!” I bellowed.
Jim pulled the trigger on my gun, shooting Jop in the leg. Jop let out a scream and jumped back, stumbling and falling to the ground. Jim stepped forward with rage in his eyes. He put the gun right to Jop, ready to fucking kill the guy.
Shit, if Jim took out one of the Hell Five leaders that would not be good at all.
I threw one more punch to Dice’s face and then twisted his wrist like it was a wet rag, making something pop. But it was enough that he dropped the gun. I gave the gun a good kick and then set my sights on Jim. I got to him just in time, pulling him away as he fired the gun again. The bullet hit a headstone, sending splinters of stone into the air. Jim lost his balance and toppled to the ground.
“Give me the fucking gun, brother!” I yelled to him.
Jim looked at me in complete shock. He dropped the gun and then looked at his hand, realizing that he had shot someone and came damn close to killing that same person.
Once I had my gun back, I had complete control.
Dice groaned as he slid down the headstone, clutching his face. His hand spread across the ground looking for his weapon.
“You’re dead,” Dice said.
“No, you guys are,” I said. “Your ass is down in a grave already. Keep it warm, you’ll be there soon enough for good.”
I hurried to back up and grabbed for Jim. I got him to his feet and we had to hightail it the fuck out of there. I swore somewhere in the distance I heard the sound of motorcycles but I wasn’t going to stick around and find out if I was right or not.
We got on the motorcycles and took off. Behind us, Dice and Jop collected their guns and tried to take some shots at us. They missed and we were on the road within a minute.
We flew down a long stretch of road and I turned my head to look at Jim. He seemed comfortable on the motorcycle. He then looked at me. He nodded. I nodded back.
Good fucking morning.
chapter twenty-eight.
(belle)
I saw Duke sitting at the bar with a piece of bacon in his hand. I saw red for a few seconds and when I got close enough to him, I swung my hand, slapping him across the face. The piece of bacon went flying and all the guys jumped back a foot, giving me space to do it again.
“You asshole!” I yelled. “You put Jim in danger!”
Duke grinned and I wound up to smack him again. Before I could do so, Duke pulled me in and stopped me.
“What the hell…”
I had woken up to an empty bed. I had to hear this so called epic fucking story from a prospect of how Duke took Jim out for a motorcycle ride just before sunrise. How they went to a cemetery and were attacked by a rival MC. And how Jim shot someone! And that Duke fought one of the guys. Then they rode away in a blaze of glory with the other MC shooting at them.
“Easy, sweetie,” Duke said.
“What did the bacon do to you?” Cash asked.
“Can I slap him?” I asked Duke.
“Go for it.”
I turned and swung my open hand, cracking Cash across the face. That made all the guys burst into laughter.
I started to shake. This wasn’t a laughing thing.
Duke shoveled another scoop of food into his mouth and then grabbed my hand. He pulled me outside the clubhouse and around to the side of the building. He put me against the building, his hands holding my wrists.